Probie: The Continuing Tail
by iamwintermute
Summary: The continuing adventures of Probie the pup and his humans. Slash, Established Relationship, AU  after mid-S8 , Humour, Romance. Spoilers up to S8.
1. Coda 1: The Last House on the Left

**A/N: _Probie: The Continuing Tail_ contains the rest of the fics written in the Probie-verse, including the sequel and small one-shots. I will reorganize it into a chronological reading order once the actual sequel is complete.**

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><p>AN: Written for gibbsgirlabby for the 2011 Halloween Tibbs Ficathon on LJ. The prompt is at the end.

Oh, and this is part of the Probie-verse. This story is supposed to take place during/after the sequel, where Tony moves in with Gibbs and Probie. I wanted to write spooky, but it ended up being sweet and fluffy and not spooky at all *fail*…

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><p>Tony shifted on his feet waiting for the door to open after ringing the doorbell. He'd been hitting up the few neighbors he hadn't met with homemade baked goods all day and this was the last house on Gibbs' street, situated on the left of a cul-de-sac at the end of the street. The other side of the cul-de-sac opened up to a long park down to the next block.<p>

Tony had been baking oatmeal raisin cookies and pumpkin loaves all morning, despite the headshakes and eye-rolls he'd gotten from his lover. After trying unsuccessfully to convince Tony to relax with a cuddle on the swing, Gibbs had decided to leave him to his endeavours and take Probie out to the store to grab a few things. It was almost Halloween, and while Gibbs wasn't in the habit of decorating for the seasons, he made a point of buying some candy in case the neighborhood kids came around.

It'd been almost a month since Tony had moved in with Gibbs, and while they'd been comfortable as a couple at home and around friends, Tony had no idea how Gibbs' neighbors would react to a homosexual couple living on their street.

Dave, who lived across the street, and Stacey, their next door neighbor, had both been exceptionally open minded, but that didn't mean the rest of them would be just as tolerant. Tony hadn't had the chance to talk to the most of his new neighbors, so Gibbs had proposed to invite everyone over for one last barbecue before it got too cold.

While Tony had given Gibbs permission to out them as a couple to their neighbors as part of their invitation, Tony had been anxious about the whole thing. He was worried about how the new neighbors would think about him and about them being together. He'd met a few of them, but he was sure they all thought he was just a good friend, nothing more.

Tony had fussed over everything as the day of the barbecue approached. He knew it drove Gibbs insane but he couldn't help it. Even Probie had become a bit growly towards Tony after Tony tripped over his tail with the vacuum for the third time that week.

"Tony, will ya stop for a minute?" Gibbs had sighed, grabbing Tony's wrists and taking away the rag the younger man had been using to clean the bookshelves. With a sharp pull of his arm, Gibbs took Tony into his arms, resting his chin on his lover's shoulder with his hands splayed over Tony's navel as he whispered. "It's going to be fine. They'll love you. They're good people, like Dave and Stacey."

"But—" Tony began to protest, wiggling in Gibbs' arms, trying to get free.

"No 'but's." Gibbs nuzzled Tony's neck before placing a small kiss just behind Tony's ear, making the younger man shiver. "It'll be fine! Now, bed. You've been at it all day. It's time for bed."

That had been the last weekend. The barbecue had gone well, and the neighbors were, like Gibbs had promised him, nothing short of welcoming towards Tony. It had been a great relief for Tony.

Tony shook his head and pressed the doorbell again. Maybe he should've asked Gibbs to leave Probie with him. People would usually be more receptive to those with pets.

The door creaked open and a young face appeared behind the screen in the gap between the door and the frame. "Can I help you?"

"Hi! I'm Tony," Tony began, the big grin and the entirely too cheerful tone of voice betrayed his nervousness. "I just moved in down the street from you guys, thought I'd drop by and say 'hi' with some goodies." He motioned with the box in his hand.

Tony eyed the girl who had pulled the door open wider. She had to be in her mid-teens, wearing a striped polo shirt, a pair of skinny jeans and slippers. The girl had a freckled face, a wide smile and strawberry-blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail.

"Down the street?" The girl eyed him cautiously with an arched brow.

"Yeah, I'm… uh… Jethro Gibbs'…" Tony pursed his lips looking for the right word. Boyfriend? No. Husband? Not quite and probably never. Roommate? Hell no. "Uh… Partner." Tony finally decided.

The girl squinted at Tony, before her blue eyes and smile grew wide. "Oh! I've heard Stacey talk about you guys awhile back! I'm so sorry. We've been away and apparently missed Mr. Gibbs' get together last weekend."

Opening the screen door and sticking out her hand, the girl finally introduced herself. "I'm Pippy—like Pippy Longstocking? I know. What were my parents thinking, right? Very nice to meet you, Tony. Welcome to the neighborhood."

Tony chuckled at Pippy's self-introduction. "Very nice to meet you too, Pippy. I was wondering because I didn't recognize you."

"You wanna come in?" Pippy shrugged, nodding towards the door in invitation.

"Your parents aren't home?" Tony asked.

Pippy nodded with a shrug, the look of indifference on her face. "Yeah, they're… out, busy."

"Probably not a good idea then," Tony said regrettably.

"Heh. Probably." Pippy gave him a quick grin.

"Here, tell your parents I dropped by to say 'hi'." Tony shoved the box of cookies and pumpkin loaf into Pippy's hands. "And you are welcome anytime at our place. Probie would love some company."

"Probie?"

"Our dog." Tony took out his phone and pulled up a recent picture of Probie for Pippy to see.

"Oh _cute_!" Pippy exclaimed. "I'll make sure I do that!"

"All right, gotta run. Jethro will be home soon. I'll see you around?"

"Yup! For sure!" Pippy waved her hand cheerfully as Tony bounced down the front steps. "See you around, Tony."

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><p>Tony eyed the small park that began from the cul-de-sac at the end of the street before giving Probie's leash a gentle tug, turning the dog towards the park. He'd gone out for a run with Probie around the neighbourhood. He was drenched, but he didn't want to go home yet. Gibbs was working down in the basement, and he thought he'd let his lover have some well deserved quiet time after the week they had.<p>

Probie barked, then growled when Tony tugged at the leash to silence him, as they approached Pippy's house.

"Hey, Probster! Chill! What's the matter?" Tony crouched down, grabbing the feathers on either side of Probie's face and tugged gently before rubbing his hands all over Probie's head.

"Tony?"

Tony turned his head around, and smiled when he saw Pippy. "Hey Pippy. How are ya?"

"Okay, I guess." Pippy shrugged in a way that only teenagers would.

"C'mere. This is Probie." Tony gestured Pippy to come crouch next to him. "Probie, be nice."

Probie whined a couple of times before tucking his tail and bowed his head. Pippy ran a hand over Probie's head a few times. "Hey, Probie!"

"I don't know why he's so restless today." Tony shook his head as Probie settled a bit more with him stroking his fur.

Pippy didn't comment. Instead, she looked over to Tony, her expression unreadable. "Tony, you work with Mr. Gibbs right? Stacey had mentioned that you guys work together and you were both cops."

Tony nodded. "Well, I guess we are Navy cops. And I work for him at NCIS. Why?"

Pippy looked up at the setting sun quietly. "Uhm…"

"Pippy? Is everything all right?" asked Tony, noticing the uncertain look on Pippy's face.

Pippy gave Tony a smile that felt forced. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Depends on what it is, but I don't see why not?"

"I need to find someone." Pippy reached into her back pocket and produced a small black and white photograph. From the paper and the way it was printed Tony could tell that the picture was quite old. "That's my gram and her best friend in high school. Her name is Esther Miles. When Gram lost her parents, she went to live with the Mileses until she graduated and found a job."

"You kinda look like your gram," Tony noted.

"Yeah, everyone says that." Pippy laughed, then her features turned serious, tinged with sadness. "They were like family to Gram. She tried to keep in touch, but with both of she and Esther moving for jobs and marriage, it just wasn't possible. Gram's in the hospital, on her last leg, and she really wants to thank her again."

Tony looked at the young girl, his eyes softened at her request. He really shouldn't misuse government resources like that, but then he couldn't and didn't want to say no to Pippy either. It was a harmless request, like when they helped Ducky put together that show and tell for Magnus…

"Okay." Tony nodded, smiling when he saw Pippy's face light up. "Where was your Gram originally from?"

"Hartford, Connecticut," Pippy answered as she scritched Probie behind the ears absentmindedly.

"That's pretty far to move for a job," Tony commented as he note down the information on his phone.

"Well, she originally worked in Philly, where she met my grandfather. My grandfather Tom Langston was a naval aviator, after they got married they moved to DC because of his posting." Pippy smiled, looking at the picture fondly.

"Her maiden name?"

"McPherson. Phillipa McPherson. I think she was born July 24th, either in '34 or '35."

"Okay. You mind if I hang on to that picture?" Tony pointed to Pippy's hand.

"Sure." Pippy shrugged, handing the picture over along with an envelope. "I don't know if Esther is still alive. If she is, can you give her this letter? Gram wrote it but had no address to send it to."

"Of course."

"I gotta run. Thanks, Tony." Pippy gave Tony a warm smile before she turned and left.

Tony tugged at Probie and shivered slightly at the chill breeze. It'd gotten a bit cold the week before and the running jacket he had put on earlier was not enough to block the wind. "Come on, Probie. Let's go home."

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><p>The next morning, Tony began running a naval personnel search as soon as he got to the office. The search turned up information on Pippy's grandparents, but nothing else. Most of the records from back then were incomplete at best, and Tony was having a tough time finding even the old work records of Phillipa Langston from Philly. He had to call up an old marker from when he worked in Philly to do some digging. He sighed, hanging up the phone and walked back to the bullpen with a slight frown. Who knew it would be so hard to find records of a woman from the fifties?<p>

Gibbs eyed his lover with concern, but didn't say much. He knew something was occupying Tony's mind, but the younger man had been reluctant in telling him what was wrong. Gibbs didn't want to push him, so he decided that he'd ask when they got home later if Tony wanted to talk, or when whatever was preoccupying Tony's mind began to affect his work.

They didn't catch a case that day, and was working on cold cases. Tony had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire day, spending most of his time on the phone. Tony on the phone when reviewing cold cases wasn't unusual. Tony not complaining at all when reviewing cold cases, however, was usually cause for concern. It made Ziva and McGee nervous, not knowing if Tony was quiet because he was planning some prank on them again.

Gibbs sent the team home precisely at 1700. It had been a Friday, and there were looks of relief on both McGee and Ziva's face when he told them to go and have a good weekend. Tony rode in with him, so as soon as he had his desk organized, Gibbs looked over to Tony and arched an eyebrow.

"I'll be done in five."

Gibbs nodded before heading upstairs to drop off some paperwork for the Director. Tony was packed and ready to go by the time he came back down.

They drove home in near silence. It wasn't unusual, since Gibbs hadn't been a big talker, but it somehow felt different.

"Tony?" Gibbs asked as he took the jar of satay sauce Tony wanted out of the fridge. It was stir-fry night and he knew Tony liked the extra kick from the satay sauce. He'd resisted asking the entire way home, but when the younger man had remained quiet even after they got home, he decided to approach Tony. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Tony looked over to Gibbs, confused, as he helped washing and dicing the vegetables. Probie was dozing under the kitchen table after the men made it clear that he wasn't going to get anything.

"You've got something on your mind." Gibbs said as a statement, instead of a question. Tony sighed.

"Was it that obvious?" Tony winced. "I swear I didn't goof off. Just…thinking about something."

"Didn't say you were. What's bothering you, Tony?" Gibbs' tone was that of pure concern. He knew Tony had been doing his job, even in his preoccupied state. Tony had made some very enlightening notes on a few cold cases that no one else had caught.

Tony worked his lower lip between his teeth, debating on what to tell Gibbs. He didn't like keeping secrets from Gibbs, but he didn't know how to tell him that he agreed to help a girl that he'd known for less than a week. "It's not important."

Gibbs scowled at him with a small frown, but then sighed. Seeing as how Tony didn't want to talk about it, Gibbs decided to let it go, for now. He knew better than to force his lover.

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><p>Gibbs had hoped that Tony would work through whatever had been bothering him quickly, but when Tony didn't come to bed at their usual bedtime the following day, Gibbs finally decided that enough was enough.<p>

He went down stairs only to find Tony sitting on the couch Indian style, with thick stacks of paper strewn all over the rest of the couch and the coffee table. Probie was dozing at Tony's feet, looking decisively bored.

"Tony, what the hell?" Gibbs shook his head at the mess, but he was concerned more than angry.

Tony looked up at Gibbs, his eyes clouded by mild confusion, like he didn't understand the older man's words.

Gibbs sighed. He'd known that once Tony was focused on something, it was easy for him to forget everything else. He was the same way himself; it was what made them a good investigators. He walked over, gently took the pages out from Tony's hands, put them and the papers on his lap in a pile and left them on the coffee table. Pulling the younger man up to standing, Gibbs leaned in to peck a kiss to Tony's temple as he rubbed the small of his back. "Time for bed."

"But…"

"No buts," Gibbs cupped Tony's face and held his gaze. "Time. For. Bed."

"Okay." Tony sighed, nodding his agreement as Gibbs held him closer.

Once they were settled under the covers, with Tony curling up against Gibbs, the older man finally asked, his hand stroking up and down Tony's spine. "Tony, what's going on? Please, tell me."

Tony sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "It's nothing…"

"Come on, tell me." His tone was as close to begging as Gibbs had ever used.

"You'll think it's stupid." Tony sighed, his breath tickling Gibbs' bare chest.

Gibbs stilled his hand and lifted his head slightly, staring down at the top of Tony's head. "Why would I think that? Nevermind, don't answer that. Just tell me what's bothering you."

"It's silly…" Tony hesitated, but he knew Gibbs was worried. "A… uh… friend, wanted my help tracking down an old family friend that they'd lost touch with a long time ago." Tony explained Pippy's story, but left out Pippy's name. "It's been really hard even finding records from that long ago."

Gibbs didn't comment on Tony doing some side project during work hours. Instead, he nodded and asked. "So, let me get this straight. All you have to do is find this person and deliver a letter?"

"Yeah. I've got some of the records downstairs. They're all paper scans so I have to manually go through them." Tony sighed. "Like I said, it's silly, but…"

"Okay," Gibbs said simply, not needing further explanation. "We'll go over the records together tomorrow. I've got a friend who works for the IRS. I'll give him a call and see if he could help. They keep everything and they have the best records."

"What? Jethro, you don't have to…" Tony lifted his head to look at Gibbs.

"No, but I want to." Gibbs stroked Tony's face gently with his knuckles. "Because it's important to you."

"I don't… I…Thank you."

"You're welcome." Gibbs smiled, drawing Tony in for a kiss. "Now sleep. We've got work to do tomorrow."

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><p>True to his word, Gibbs called up his contact and went through all of the files with Tony the entire next day, and by mid-day Monday they had a pretty good idea of where Esther Miles had gone. She had apparently married locally to an engineer, and had moved across the country with her husband when he got hired by a company on the west coast.<p>

"DiNozzo," Gibbs walked through the bullpen from out of nowhere. He'd been gone for the last little while, giving no explanation of where he was going. Not that he had to, Gibbs thought to himself, privilege of being the boss. "With me."

"Boss?" Tony shrugged on his jacket and picked up his badge and weapon.

"C'mon," Gibbs nodded his head in the direction of the elevator.

"On your six."

Once in the elevator, Gibbs held out a piece of paper to Tony. "Here."

"What is it?" Tony unfolded the note. On the note were a phone number and an address.

"Esther Bennett, formerly Esther Miles," Gibbs said, giving Tony a quick glance.

"How did you…" Tony whipped his head around to gawk at Gibbs. He swore that the man had superpowers.

"Buddy at the IRS came through. Once we gave him that social security number, he was able to back trace where her pension cheques were going to." Gibbs grinned at Tony.

"And you found her?"

"Yup. She's been living in Philly with her daughter for the past five years," Gibbs said as they reached the ground floor. "Come on. Call them now and make sure they're home. We'll stop to grab something to eat and head out so we don't hit traffic on the way into Philly."

"What? Now?" Tony's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, now." Gibbs gave him a 20% strength headslap but Tony yelped anyways. Gibbs rolled his eyes before continuing. "I cleared it with Vance. It's not like we have any active cases."

"Have I ever told you I love you?" Tony gave Gibbs his trademark grin as they got into the car. "Because I don't think I say that enough."

"You can thank me all you want when we get home tonight." Gibbs quipped back with a smirk.

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><p>A middle-aged woman answered the door a few seconds after Tony rang the bell. "Can I help you?"<p>

"Hi, uh, we called earlier…" Tony fumbled with his identification. "I'm… Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, and this is Special Agent Gibbs. We're here to see Esther Bennett?"

"Oh, right! You are the agents from what was it, NC…"

"NCIS, yes, ma'am." Tony gave her a bright smile.

"Come on in. My mother's in the living room. Right this way" The woman opened her door wide, ushering the men in. "I'm Leanne, by the way."

"Thank you, Leanne."

"Mom? Those federal agents I told you about are here." Leanne patted her mother's hand lightly, directing the old woman's attention to the two men standing at the entrance to the living room. On the TV, a talk show was on but the sound had been turned down.

"Oh, well, hello there." Esther smiled. "So nice of you to visit. What's this about?"

"Ma'am." Gibbs nodded his greetings, letting Tony do the talking.

"Mrs. Bennett?" Tony sat down next to Esther after getting an okay from Leanne. "Hi, I'm Tony."

"Tony's a nice name. My late husband's brother's named Tony." Esther sat up straighter, putting knitting needles she had in her hand down into the basket at her feet. "So?"

"I was wondering if you knew a Phillipa McPherson."

"Phillipa? Yes, we grew up together. Although, oh, I haven't seen her in ages. We've lost touch with each other a while back when I moved out west." Esther gave Tony a small smile, reminiscing the good ol' days. "Oh, I missed her. She was like a sister to me. Why do you ask?"

"It's… a long story." Tony recited his story to Esther, whose eyes began to water halfway through.

"Oh, Phillipa." Esther took out a small handkerchief to dab at her eyes.

"She wanted you to have this." Tony took out the letter Pippy had given him. "I'll give her granddaughter your number so they can contact you."

"Thank you." Esther wrapped Tony in a hug as tight as a woman of her age could. "Thank you, Tony."

"You're welcome." Tony smiled, looking up at Gibbs, who gave him a smile too. Behind Gibbs, he could see Leanne's eyes shine with unshed tears as well.

They ended up staying and chatting with the mother and daughter for a bit, but they couldn't stay long if they wanted to make it back to DC at a decent time.

"Agent DiNozzo, Agent Gibbs." Leanne met them at the door. "Thank you so much for coming today. My mother had told me about Phillipa ever since I was a little girl. I've always wished that there was some way of finding her again so they can reunite. Never thought we'd get that chance."

"It was our pleasure." Tony said, giving her hand a firm shake when she offered.

"Have a safe drive home." She waved them out the door.

"Will do!" Tony turned and gave her a smile. Elbowing Gibbs, Tony whispered. "Drive safer."

Gibbs glared at Tony briefly before raising a hand to ruffle Tony's hair.

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><p>"Hey, I think Pippy's family's home." Tony squinted at the light coming from houses down Gibbs's street. "We should go say hi and tell her we found Esther. They'd be thrilled."<p>

"Sure, why not." Gibbs shrugged. "Let me go grab Probie. We can go for a quick walk before dinner."

Tony knocked on the door and waited. Gibbs had Probie in a leash waiting at the foot of the steps. A woman in her mid-twenties answered the door. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, is Pippy home?"

"Pippy? Grandma Pippy?" the woman asked, sounding confused. Her eyes were a little red around the rim.

"Yeah, Pippy. Phillipa Langston's granddaughter?" Tony narrowed his eyes.

"I am Phillipa Langston's granddaughter. Pippy's my gram's nickname." The woman gave Tony a weird look. "What the hell's going on?"

"Uh…" Tony had no idea. "Uhm, you know where we can find Mrs. Langston?"

The woman sighed and bit her lips. "My grandmother passed away late last Thursday. I'm here to pack her stuff and see what's to keep and what's to throw away."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Tony winced, his tone apologetic.

"It's okay. She's been sick for a while. We knew it was coming." The woman gave him a sad smile and held out her hand. "Name's Esther."

"She named you after her best friend." Tony realized.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Long story." Tony felt his heart beat faster as he considered one possibility.

The younger Esther shrugged. "You know, it was okay. She went peacefully in her sleep. She had a few confused moments here and there, saying something about she's found help and to tell someone named Tony thanks. I'm just glad that she's not in pain anymore."

Tony barely suppressed the yelp in his throat. He swallowed, taking a deep breath to calm himself before asking Esther. "Will you let us know when the service will be? I'd like to come pay my respects. We live just down the street." Tony wrote down his number for Esther on a sheet from his note pad.

"Sure."

"Sorry for disturbing you. You have a good night." Tony said finally.

"You too."

Gibbs gave Tony a weird look as the younger man came down to meet him.

"Long story." Tony shivered. "I'll tell you about it when we get home."

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><p>Prompts were: 1) Gibbs and Tony in a creepy haunted house-spooky but funny; 2) Gibbs and Tony encounter a ghost who needs them to do something for it. Could be a stranger ghost, or someone we knew. Didn't quite use the first prompt though…<p> 


	2. Coda 2: A Very Probie Christmas

A/N: Written for Day 12 of Tibbs_Yuletide.

Thanks to sunsaralyn for the speedy beta!

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><p>"Junior!"<p>

"Dad!" Tony froze on the spot as DiNozzo Senior wrapped him in a bear hug. It took him a moment to remember that he should probably hug his old man back. Tony gave Senior a few solid pats on the back before Senior was satisfied enough to let go of him, leaving a wide-eyed Tony standing there gaping at his father.

"So, how've you been?" Senior rested his hands on Tony's shoulders and asked, his tone light and cheerful. "How's everyone on your team?"

"They're fine…" What the hell was that all about? Tony tried to shake himself out of the daze induced by his father's totally out of character moves, but he was simply too stunned. What had gotten into his father? Tony didn't remember his father being so touchy-feely with him. Ever. It was unsettling enough for Tony to mentally run down every possible worse-case scenario involving his father—when his father looked friendly, he usually wanted something, and for the life of him, Tony couldn't figure out what it could be.

"You okay there, Junior?"

"Me? I'm great!" Tony answered with a nervous glee that was closer to being manic than genuinely happy. His brain was spinning in hyperdrive, with all the most bizarre possibilities swirling inside. Forcing himself to snap out of it, Tony continued quickly, pulling on his father's arm. "Come on, let's get you over to Adams House and settled. I've got dinner reservations made in Georgetown for later. That should give you enough time to get freshened up, and do whatever else you wanted to do."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, Junior." Senior shrugged off Tony's hand. "What's gotten into you? You sure you're all right?"

"Yup! I'm good!" Tony said all too quickly, and Senior frowned. "Come on, I'm parked just down there."

"About that, Junior." Senior rested a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I was hoping that I could stay with you, Son."

Tony stopped mid-stride and turned quickly, nearly losing his balance in the process on the snow-sleek sidewalk leading into the parking garage at the airport. "What?"

"I said, I was hoping that I could stay with you this time, Son." Senior cocked his head, looking at the horrified expression on his son's face. "The Adams House is nice, but I was hoping to spend some time with you, and…you know, catch up."

"You… want to… catch up?" Tony looked at Senior, completely dumbfounded.

"Yeah, Junior! I haven't seen you since… oh my, since last year." Senior smiled, patting Tony's shoulder goodheartedly. "I brought some photo albums, things your mother kept."

He waited for Tony to meet his eyes. "What do you say, Son? How about a long overdue family Christmas?" Senior asked, softer than before.

Tony was speechless—he'd never seen the almost pleading look on his father's face. Ever. He found himself nodding even though a part of him was screaming in protest. "I'd like that, Dad."

The smile on Senior's face had Tony feeling happy but ashamed at the same time. The team had the holidays off, but they were on call if more than one case came in. When Tony had called at the beginning of the month to tell his father he wouldn't be able to make it up to Long Island, Senior had said he'd come to DC instead. The plan had been that his father would stay at the Adams House, and they'd have dinner somewhere, see how things go, then maybe spend more time together.

He hadn't planned on telling his father about Gibbs but now it seemed inevitable. "He'd have to know sooner or later," Tony muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Dad," Tony straightened up, squaring his shoulders. "I just gotta make a quick call, can you go ahead and wait in the car? I'll be right over."

"Sure, Son." Senior deftly caught the keys Tony tossed at him, and went about looking for his son's car.

Tony watched as his father waltzed out of earshot, then dialed Gibbs' number. "Hey," Tony greeted when the call was picked up on first ring.

"Tony," Gibbs' voice was warm calling out his name, rather than the usual harsh tone at work. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, the flight was only a bit delayed, and Dad didn't have any checked bags. Thank goodness." Tony chuckled softly.

Gibbs grunted in agreement. Neither man were big fans of lost suitcases that went to tour the world.

"Uhm…Jethro…" Tony began only to pause in hesitation.

"Mm-hmm?"

"He doesn't want to stay at the Adams House," Tony said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Tony could almost _hear_ the frown form on Gibbs' face.

"He wants to come stay with me."

"But you live…" Gibbs' voice dropped off.

"Yeah." Tony loosened his tie and unfastened the top button. "Would that be okay with you? He can take the couch."

"Not a problem for me," Gibbs said after thinking for a moment. "But are you sure about this? You do realize we have to tell him."

"I don't want to refuse him. He really is trying."

"I can't say I like the idea, but if he's willing to forgo the luxury of the Adams House, then…" Gibbs sighed. "Why not?"

"I can tell him that we're roommates…"

"If you weren't all the way at the airport I'd head-slap you into next year," Gibbs growled. "Hell no, DiNozzo. I've got nothing to hide. If he's not happy with it, he can go find himself a hotel room."

Tony smiled at Gibbs' words, the almost brash way of saying he loved him. "Okay. I'll be home soon."

"Drive safely," Gibbs reminded Tony.

"I will! Stop being a bear!" Tony quipped, grinning.

"Oh I'll show you about being a bear when you get home," Gibbs quipped back. "Love you."

"Love you, too." Tony ended the call and stuffed the phone into his pocket before turning to find his car and his father.

* * *

><p>Tony made a smooth lane change that took them into the collector that led off of the Beltway onto residential streets. It was mid-afternoon, and while there was traffic, it was largely coming out of DC, rather than towards the metro area.<p>

Senior had tried to start some conversations, but Tony just wasn't up to it. He tried to focus on the road, only answering his father's questions with short answers.

"I thought you lived near Georgetown?" Senior asked, noting the sign that welcomed them to Alexandria.

"I moved."

"Huh. Why didn't you tell me?" Senior turned to look at his son. "Doesn't Gibbs live in Alexandria as well?"

"Yes, Dad." Tony sighed. His father was like a six year-old with the questions, and it was getting on his nerves.

"So you guys live close?"

"No, Dad." Tony nearly snarled. "Can we not talk about this now? I need to focus on getting us there safely."

Senior was about to say something, but clamped his mouth shut when he saw the stormy look flit across Tony's face.

"You're going to have to take the couch, we don't have enough room upstairs." Tony looked apologetically over to his father when they hit a red light. He didn't want to be so snappy, but this whole change in the plans was making him anxious. "The couch is pretty comfortable though, it won't hurt your back."

"That's fine," Senior said nonchalantly, but before he could continue, the light turned green.

Tony made one last turn onto their street, then parked in front of the house, shutting the engine off. "We're here."

"Nice neighborhood," Senior commented, noting the nicely manicured lawn that is partly covered with snow and the tidy appearances of neighboring houses.

"Yeah, it is. Nice neighbors too." Tony took the bags from out of the back seat. "Come on."

Gibbs must've heard the car, because he was leaning against the doorframe, waiting for them by the time the two men reached the top of the stairs. "Hey."

"Hey," Tony greeted back, letting Gibbs take the bag inside while he busied himself with his snow boots. "Thanks."

"Gibbs!" Senior called, the surprise clear in his voice, as he stepped up into the front hall. "How nice to see you. What are you doing here? Junior invited you over?"

"I live here," Gibbs said, arching an eyebrow, and looked to Tony, who gave a shrug and shook his head lightly.

"Oh." Tony winced at the confused look on his father's face. "Junior said this is his place."

"It's our place," Gibbs corrected as he took the coat from Senior and hung it up.

"So you boys are roommates now?" Senior took a couple of steps and wandered around. "It's a nice place you've got here."

Gibbs turned towards Tony and hissed, "you didn't tell him?"

"I was hoping to do it with you around!" Tony hissed back. "And I rather not talk about it when I'm trying to drive on wet roads!"

"Tell me what?" Senior turned back towards the two men, cluing in on the fact that the conversation was about him.

Tony sighed. It'd hurt less ripping off the bandage quickly, right? "We're not roommates."

"No? But you live together."

"No, Dad. Jethro and I…" Tony cleared his throat and took a deep breath before continuing. "We _are_ together."

Silence descended upon them, and it took a long moment before the facts sank in for Senior. "You're together—you mean _together_ together?" he asked, eyes wide and a finger pointing between the two men.

"Yes, Dad!" Tony let out a frustrated groan. "Like 'we're shacking up' together."

Senior just stood there and stared at the two men.

"I _knew_ this was a bad idea." Tony threw his hands up, stomping past his father into the living room and plopping himself down on his spot on the couch. The fireplace was lit and warmth radiated from the dancing tongues of flame, but he paid no attention to it. He supported his elbows on his knees then buried his head into his hands.

"Tony…" Gibbs sat down next to Tony and began running a hand up and down Tony's back.

"No, Jethro, don't tell me it'll be okay. You know what? I'm going to go find a hole to hide in, and I'm not coming out ever again." Tony groaned. "Why did I think this would be a good idea? Why did I let you convince me?"

"Junior…"

"I'm sorry, Dad, if this is disappointing." Tony ignored his father calling his nickname. "Actually, no, I'm not sorry. I've been a fucking disappointment since I picked Ohio instead of Harvard, so, whatever. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I'll call Adams House and get you a car…"

"Junior." The tone was much harsher now, and it made Tony look up in annoyance. Senior was standing right in front of him. When he'd moved there Tony wasn't sure.

"What!"

Senior exchanged a look with Gibbs—or, more precisely, Gibbs glared at Senior and Senior glared back—before crouching down so he was eye-level with Tony. "Let me make two things clear, Son. One, you've never been a disappointment to me. I know I've never told you this, because we never talk, but I've never been disappointed in you. I'm sorry for what happened in the past—I was stupid to listen to your step-mother and too stubborn to apologize."

"Wait… what?" Tony's jaw dropped.

"Let me finish," Senior reached out to pat Tony's cheek. "You were brave to walk your own path, and that was all that mattered. I'm proud of the man you've become"

"Dad—"

"Second of all, I'm not a bigot. It just surprised me, is all. I just never imagined you and Gibbs—" he made waved a hand at the two men, "would be… eh… into each other, so to speak."

"You're not mad at me?" Tony asked, the uncertainty clear in his voice, sounding too much like the little boy who thought he was going to be punished for breaking a window. Gibbs couldn't help wrapping his arm around Tony and pulling him close.

"No, Junior. I'm not." Senior said, watching Gibbs' attempt at comforting Tony. "I want you to be happy." He smiled when he saw the tension bleed out of Tony's shoulders. "I mean, I kind of knew it all along that you weren't entirely straight."

"Huh?"

"The… uh… Flaherty's boy, what's his name… James!" Senior said, sounding completely smug.

"Oh God!" Gibbs arched an eyebrow at the horrified look on Tony's face. "This… this is too much…" Tony ran a hand down his face. "You knew that I was bi all along? Why didn't you say something?"

"Same reason why I didn't say a lot of things, Son. Stubborn and prideful, that's the DiNozzos for you." A sad smile pulled at the corner of Senior's lips. "I know that no amount of apologies will undo the past. What was done was done, but we have the future ahead of us. I want to try and do right by you, if you would give me the chance. What do you say, Junior?"

Tony finally moved his hand away from his face, running them through his hair before sighing heavily, letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Okay." Tony looked to his father, his eyes bright, and was surprised by the moisture and genuine apology in his father's eyes. He broke out into a smile before reaching forward to wrap his father into a hug. "Okay, we'll both try," he whispered into his father's ear.

They stay like that for a long moment, until it became uncomfortable for the both of them. Tony let go of his father and helped the old man up.

"Where's Probie?" Tony asked, finally realized that something was different.

Senior found himself a comfortable spot in the armchair. "Who's Probie?"

"Our dog." Gibbs reached out and pulled Tony back down to the couch and into his arms. "Stacey took him to intro agility class with Gryph. Said something about discipline and using up their pent up energy. They should be back soon."

"Huh, that might actually be a good idea, now that he can't go out into the backyard." Tony nodded. "When's Jack getting here?"

"He said he'd be getting in at around eighteen-hundred." Gibbs spared a look at his watch. It was only four in the afternoon. "I told him I'd pick him up at Union Station but he said he'd take the Metro here. He's supposed to call when he's here so I can go get him."

Gibbs' phone rang before Tony could ask more. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Come on, Dad." Tony gave Gibbs' knee a squeeze before getting up. "I'll show you around."

* * *

><p>"You can hang you suits up in the front hall closet. Use the washroom down here or the bathroom upstairs, it's up to you." Tony took his father around the first floor, pointing out where everything was. "I'll grab you some pillows and blankets later."<p>

"Tony?" Gibbs called out. "Stacey's back. You wanna go get Probie?"

"Sure." Tony shrugged as he led his father back into the room. "Just let me go get changed first."

As soon as Tony was out the door, Gibbs turned to Senior, who'd been quietly observing the two men.

"Sit." Gibbs nodded to the armchair that Senior sat in before. "We need to talk."

"Yes, we do." Senior smirked. "You know, it's usually the father that does the talking."

Gibbs snorted. "It's a bit late to play the 'father' card, isn't it?"

Senior winced at Gibbs' comment. "So how long have you two been together?"

"Eight months, there about," Gibbs answered, his eyes fixed on the older man.

"But you've had feelings for my son for a while, haven't you?" Senior leaned back into the chair. "That was why you cornered me that first time we met."

"I did what I thought was right. Whether you wanted a relationship with him or not, he needed to know. He needed the closure." Gibbs nodded, not answering Senior's question directly. "Tony's the most important person in my life right now. I won't let anyone hurt him, you included."

Gibbs waited for his words to sink in before continuing, keeping his tone calm and even. "You are welcome in this house, as long as you are really trying to patch things up with Tony and undo some of the damage you've done. If you hurt him again, I'll hunt you down."

Senior's expression faltered briefly before he managed to recover. "Harsh words, Gibbs. You threatening me?"

"No, that's a promise. I don't do threats." Gibbs smirked, but somehow it made him look more dangerous.

"You really do love him."

"Damn right I do."

"Gibbs, I may be a bastard and a negligent father, but I would never deliberately or intentionally hurt Tony." Senior sighed, running a hand up and down his face. "He is my son, and I've never stopped loving him."

He looked back to Gibbs with a weary smile. "You have my word, Gibbs, that I will do everything I can to fix things. I'm too old to be stubborn."

Gibbs nodded at his words. They both were. "I'll be holding you to that."

* * *

><p>Probie barked once as the front door opened, making Tony look up from the book he was reading. "Jack! Probie, stay," Tony ordered before Probie could launch himself at the newcomer. The dog whined in protest as he paced the floor space in front of his dog bed as Tony got up from the couch to meet the elder Gibbs.<p>

"Tony! How are ya?" Jack dropped the bags in his hand by the door and held his arms wide. "Come give the old man a hug."

"Dad!" Gibbs snapped from the door. "Later. We still have four more bags of groceries outside!"

"Maybe later, Jack." Tony smiled warmly. "Jethro. I'll take care of these, and you get the rest. Jack, you know where the guest room is."

"Don't worry about me." Jack waved dismissively. "I can take care of myself. And who is this?"

Tony turned to find his father standing behind him. "Uh, Jack, this is my father. Anthony DiNozzo Senior. Dad, this is Jackson, Jethro's father."

"Nice to meet you… uh…" Senior stumbled a bit as he held out his hand, unsure what to call Jack.

"Call me Jack." Jack took Senior's hand and shook it enthusiastically.

"My friends call me Tony, but I guess under the circumstances, Anthony will do." Senior smiled.

"So, Leroy told me you're gonna be staying with us for the holiday?" Jack asked, blue eyes looking sharply at Senior.

"Dad, be nice." Gibbs tossed his words over his shoulder as he walked past the two men with the rest of the groceries. Probie perked up and trotted behind Gibbs, wagging his tail. "Down boy, this ain't for you."

Jack followed behind Gibbs and Probie into the kitchen, with Senior on his heel. "Leave the bird out Leroy, it needs to thaw properly so we can brine it overnight."

"I got it, Dad." Gibbs sighed. "Why don't you go get yourself settled? Tony and I will take care of this. And take Probie with you."

"All right. I'm going." Jack put his hands up, walking away. "Come here, Probie. I've got a new toy for you. Call it an early Christmas present."

"Anything I can help with?" Senior stood by the kitchen door, looking slightly lost.

Tony looked up at his father, who'd changed into khaki slacks and a wool sweater earlier. "Why don't you give me a hand so Jethro can get dinner started?"

He'd originally planned to take his father out to dinner, but since Senior wasn't staying at a hotel anymore they'd decided to stay in instead.

"Sure," Senior agreed happily. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Chili," Gibbs said as he took a large container out of the fridge. "Made it this morning; thought we'd have something simple before tomorrow night's feast. You want cornbread or spaghetti, Tony?"

"Cornbread, duh!" Tony grinned. Gibbs' cornbread was his mother's recipe, and he was not ashamed to admit to being addicted.

They managed to get through dinner without too much problems, to which Tony breathed a sigh of relief. Tony had been worried that the dads wouldn't get along, but they seemed to have made peace with each other.

"God, I'm exhausted," Tony groaned as he plopped himself down on the bed.

"Been a long day," Gibbs commiserated. "At least we didn't get called in."

"Small mercies?" Tony let out a sarcastic laugh, muffled by him burying his head into the pillow.

"Something like that. Hope it stays that way." Gibbs slid into bed next to Tony, pulling the younger man into his arms. "You okay though? With your dad here and all."

"I will be." Tony nodded, rubbing his face against Gibbs' shoulder. "I still can't believe he wanted to… you know?"

"I know. Now, sleep. We'll worry about that tomorrow, hmm?" Gibbs ran a hand through Tony's hair and down his back before leaning in for a kiss. "One day at a time."

"Sounds like a plan." Tony yawned, wriggling a bit to get comfortable in Gibbs' arms. "Good night, Jethro."

"Good night, Tony."

* * *

><p>Tony stared into the vanity mirror Christmas morning bleary eyed as he brushed his teeth. They'd had a late night cleaning up after having the entire team over for dinner. It was tiring, but at the same time satisfying. Tony missed having get-togethers with his little NCIS family.<p>

They were woken up by all thirty-something pounds of Probie landing on their bed, only to find both Dads standing by their bedroom door grinning at them, each with a cup of coffee in hand.

"You were right, Jack. They're kinda cute when they're asleep." Senior looked impressed.

"Told ya." Jack chuckled, patting Senior on the shoulder. "I'm gonna go get breakfast started. I bet they're hungry. I know they were up late messing around."

"Dad!" Tony and Gibbs yelled at the same time, both their faces flushing beet red.

"I'll give you a hand." Senior gave the two half naked men in bed one last look before following Jack down stairs. "I'm pretty sure I still remember a few things."

"Ugh!" Tony buried his head into the pillow. "I don't believe this!"

"Yeah…" Gibbs couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing as he wrapped his arm around his lover. "I felt like I was sixteen again."

That had been half an hour ago. Gibbs then dragged him into the shower, got them both cleaned, quickly brushed his teeth before bounding downstairs to rescue his cup of morning sludge before the Dads finished it all.

Rising his mouth, Tony was still a bit dazed from the realization that they had gotten through almost two whole days without killing each other. Jack and his father had somehow figured out that they shared a passion for Civil War history, and once they found that common topic, it was impossible to shut them up.

Tony shook his head. He could never imagine that his father's sudden change of heart would make it one of the best Christmases ever in his life. Maybe there was such thing as Christmas miracles after all.

He made his way downstairs, dressed in old jeans and a Buckeye sweatshirt. Jack busied himself in front of the stove and his father sat at the table flipping through one of Gibbs' books. Probie had completely warmed up to their dads, and was dozing next to Senior's chair, only looking up when Tony entered the dining room.

"Morning," Tony greeted, yawning as he made his way towards Gibbs, who sat across from Senior working on a crossword puzzle. "Merry Christmas."

"Hey." Gibbs got up from his seat to wrap him in a hug, leaning in for a kiss before letting go. "Mornin'. Jack's making french toast."

"Mmm, sounds yummy." Tony waltzed over to the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee, thankful that Gibbs had the good sense to make a second pot.

"So, what's the plan for the rest of the day? Aside from presents?" Gibbs asked as Tony settled in the chair next to him. "It's a Wonderful Life marathon?"

"Of course!" Tony grinned. "Followed by Elf, Christmas Story, Scrooged, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Die Hard."

"How did I guess." Gibbs rolled his eyes, ruffling Tony's still damp hair.

"Well, Jack and I thought we could take Probie out for a long stroll before lunch." Senior looked up from the book he was reading.

"Suit yourself." Gibbs shrugged. Having DiNozzo Senior around certainly caused a bit of a stir, but everything seemed pretty much back to normal now, for which Gibbs was thankful.

"Alright, breakfast is served," Jack finally said, carrying two plates to the table. "Leroy, why don't you get everything else and I'll grab the other two plates?"

"Sure, Dad."

* * *

><p>"It's good to see you again, Son," Senior said as the three men stood in front of the security checkpoint at Dulles International. Jack had elected to stay at home to watch Probie while the two sons drove Senior to the airport.<p>

"You too, Dad." Tony smiled. It'd been a crazy three days, but a good three days as well. For the first time in his life, he felt like he would actually miss his old man.

"Oh! Come here!" Senior pulled Tony into a hug. "I'll call you in a few days."

"Okay, Dad." Tony smiled, holding his old man tight before letting go.

"And nice to see you again too, Gibbs." Senior held out his hand, which Gibbs took without hesitation. "Take good care of my boy, hmm?"

"Always." Gibbs gave him his trademarked lopsided smile. "You take good care of yourself too."

"Listen, I'll probably be down here for a business meeting late January—"

"You're always welcome at our house," Gibbs said before Senior could finish. "And you can even take the guest room next time."

"And same to you if you two ever decide to take a trip up north," Senior offered.

"Will do." Gibbs nodded.

"I better get going." Senior glanced over at the clock.

"Bye, Dad." Tony smiled.

"Bye, Son." Senior smiled back, as he headed toward security.


End file.
